Mechanical musical instrument



D W M M A a W A M W uhcF-H-Wfl-W I. r 1 ||||l lrlltlllllll F (No Model.)

M. A. WIER.

MECHANICAL MUSIGAL INSTRUMENT.

No; 329,420. Patented Oct. 2'7, 1885.

24 names JQMWTI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHALL ARTHUR \VIER, OF UPPER NORWVOOD, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.329,420, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed November 15, 1884. Serial No. 148.045. (No model.)Patented in England June 4, 1884, No. 8,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of Upper Norwood, in thecounty of Surrey, Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Au tomatic Musical Instruments; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same.

I obtained aBritish patent, No. 8,564, on the 4th day of June, 1884.,for the instrument which is the subject of my present application.

This invention relates to musical instru ments where tunes or harmoniesare produced by blowing with the mouth.

It has for its object to enable persons un learned in music to playtunes, harmonies, 800., with wind produced by their respiratory organs.

It consists of a trumpet or similar shaped instrument adapted to beblown into through the mouth, and provided with reeds or othersound-producing devices arranged in the form of a scale and a musicsheet or tablet controlling the playing.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one of my improved musicalinstruments. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of another of my musicalinstruments. Fig. 3 is an end view of the instrument shown in Fig. 2.Fig. 4 isa longitudinal section of another instrument. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section of still another instrument. Fig. 6 shows an endview of the instrument illustrated in Fig. 5.

I will first describe the instrument shown in Fig. 1. A designates atrumpet-shaped shell. At the bellend is fixed a hollow cylindricalshapedpiece of wood, 13, or other material having inside it a scale-plate, 0,provided with reeds. The reeds are arranged in cells,whereby they areseparated from each other. The cell of each has a hole communicatingwith the external air. Through the center of the cylindrical-shapedpiece B passes a rod, D, to which a tube, E, leading to the mouth-pieceF is attached. This tube projects at the mouthpiece beyond thetrumpet-shaped shell, and is free to be revolved by the thumb andfinger.

That part of the tube E which is inside of the trumpet-shaped shell maybe constructed of a piece of perforated wood, metal, or gauze. The rodat the bell end of the trumpet passing through the cylinder orscale-piece turns with the tube E, and has attached to it a circularplate, G, of about the same size as the cylinder in circumference. Themusic or tune tablet consists of a drum, I-I, made of a cylindricalpiece of paper, one end of which is open and the other closed by a pieceof card board. Through the periphery of the drum holes are punched inplanes corresponding with the planes in which the reeds or notes of thescale-plate B are arranged. The tunedrum is made of the proper size, soas to pass easily over the scale-plate, and is then fixed to the plate Gby a screw and nut or other suitable device. The wind caused by therespirratory organs to flow from the mouth through the tube E escapesfrom the latter into the trumpet-shaped shell A, and, as the open end ofthe scale-plate B fits snugly in said shell, passes into the scale-plateand out through the holes of the scale-plate and the holes of the drum.Instead of the paper drum, a musicsheet consisting of a perforatedendless band of paper may be used, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Inthis example of my invention two small rollers, J K, are arrangedalongside of a scale-plate or cylinder, L. These rollers J K are turnedby a tube, E, and rod D, such as I have described, through the agency ofa suitable pair of geared wheels, M N. The endless band of paper isdrawn across the scale-holes by means of the two rollers, which draw andpass the paper between them. The wind in this case, instead of passingfrom the tube E into the interior of the scale-plate and then out at theholes thereof, is made to pass through the holes of the music-sheet,thence through the coincident holes of the scale-plate, and out of thetop of the scale-plate. The wind is caused to thus circulate by means ofa diaphragm extending across the inner end of the scale-plate, andanother diaphragm extending between the outer end of the scaleplate andthe trumpet-shaped shell A. If desirable, the mouth-piece, tube E, and ascaleplate, 0, may be connected to turn together, as shown in Fig. 4, sothat by turning the said tube the scale-plate 0 will also be turned. Thetube E will then open into the scale-plate. A paper drum, Q, having thetune perforated in it,will then be fixed in the trumpet-shaped shell A.A circular disk-shaped scale-plate, R, (see Fig. 5,) may be employed. Itwill then be placed across the bell end of the trumpet-shaped shell A,with the notes or reeds toward the mouth-piece. The holes of thisscale-plate are at different distances from the center. A perforatedtube, E, of wood, metal, or other n1aterial,passes through the center ofthe instrument and scale-plate R. A music tablet consisting of a disk,T, of card-board or other material, is attached to the end of the tubeE, which extends to the bell end of the trumpet-shaped shell A, and isperforated, as at U, corresponding to the reed slots in the tune-plate.This end of the tube E is closed, and holes Vare male laterally in theside of the tube, through which the wind passes from the mouth-piecewhen blown by the pert'orrner. The air then impinges against the reedsof the scale'plate, and whichever note or notes happen to be open oropposite a slot or slots in the music-tablet, the air passes through andsounds them. The mouth-piece and tube, together with the perforateddisk-shaped tablet, are turned by the thumb and finger by means of aboss conveniently placed on the tube.

Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner inwhich it is to or may be performed, I would have it understood that whatI claim as my invention is- In a musical instrument, the combination ofa trumpetlike shell, an air tube adapted to be blown into through themouth of a person and extending into the said shell, a connectionbetween said shell and air-tube which admits of one being rotated orturned relatively to the other, a series of soundproducing de vicesconnected to one of said parts, and a music sheet or tablet connected tothe other of said parts, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I elai iii the toregoing as my invention I have signedmynanie, in presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of September, 1884;.

MARSHALL ARTHUR \VIER.

Witnesses:

HERBERT DALE,

Bel/t of 17 GI'GGGC/IZLI'CIL St, London.

